The Aftermath Of War
by erinjoy29
Summary: Summary: Sequel to On The Eve Of Battle. Harry has gone to face Voldemort and everyone believes he is dead... It has a happy ending... HPDM


I'm going to write this one in a few different P.O.V's

Hermione's P.O.V

'I can't believe we've all slept for so long. I'd better wake Harry and Ron up so we can organise some kind of strategy.'

I lifted my blanket up and started to hop out of the make-shift bed while I rubbed my eyes. I started to yawn but I saw an envelope out of the corner of my eye, so I reached out and picked it up.

'It looks like some sort of letter and it's got mine and Ron's names on it; but who would write us a letter?'

"Hey Ron, get up," I said, while shaking his shoulder.

"Huh? Hermione, what time is it?" Ron asked sleepily, as he too sat up.

"It doesn't matter Ron, there's a letter here with our name on it, who do you think it's from?"

"What if it's Voldemort?" Ron asked, suddenly very alert.

I couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Yeah Ron, Voldemort just got bored of torturing people and decided to write us a friendly letter inviting us around for tea and biscuits."

I know it's such a terrible time to be laughing but sometimes he can just be so dense.

"Well, you never know," grumbled Ron, before saying clearly, "Well, why don't we just open it then and read it?" Ron took the letter off me and started to open it.

"But what if it's a trick, or it's cursed, or it's…" I trailed off.

"Perfectly normal?" Ron asked with a smile, holding out the letter that he had just opened.

"Oh, do shut up Ronald," I said, before snatching the letter from his hand.

I started to read the letter out loud,

_Dear Ron and Hermione,_

_I'm sorry you have to read this in a letter, but it's the only way. Please don't be too angry, but I can't have you following me anyway and risking your lives for me this time around._

_When you're reading this I'll be gone. In case you haven't figured it out; I've gone to face Voldemort alone and I don't know whether I'll survive or not._

"Oh my god," I gasped. I think there were tears already falling down our faces.

_I don't want you to come after me, the reason I left in the middle of the night was to make sure you would be safe. This is something I have to do alone._

_I need you guys to do a favour for me._

"Oh sure, he needs us to do him a favour," Ron said angrily. I know he's upset and that's the only reason he's trying to be mad, so that he doesn't have to think about what Harry has just done. I don't want to think about where he is or what he's doing. It's just so painful.

"Ron, please…"

_I need you to make sure Mr and Mrs Weasley know that I am grateful for everything they have ever done for me over the years I have known them._

_Tell Ginny that she's been amazing these past few years and that I'm so thankful for all her help._

_Tell all the other Weasleys that I'm so glad to have met them all and I wish them all the luck in the future._

_Thank everyone who has fought so bravely; the entire wizarding world should be forever in their debt._

_I want you to know that I'm going to miss you both so much. I will never forget all that your friendship has given me._

_Lastly, make sure the enclosed parchment is given to the correct person. Ask Ginny. She'll know who it's for the moment you tell her it was from me._

_Lots of love,_

_Harry Potter_

_P.S. If I survive, we'll just look back at this letter and have a laugh, yeah?_

I choked back a sob that sounded like a laugh when I read the P.S. That is so like Harry to try and make things a little bit funny for us, so that we won't worry so much.

But the fact is; he wouldn't have written this if he thought he was coming back.

I turn to Ron and bury my face into his shoulder. I can't stop crying, because I can't believe he's probably gone.

Ron's P.O.V

Hermione is crying into my shoulder and I'm just sitting here staring at this stupid piece of parchment that has just told me that my best friend has gone to hand himself over to Voldemort.

I don't want to cry, because that will make it real.

If I don't make it real, then I can just pretend this is a dream.

But it's not a dream, is it. I can hear something happening outside so I nudge Hermione and put my finger up to my lips to tell her to be quiet. We start to quietly head out to the Entrance Hall and we can see that something is happening.

There are jets of light being shot everywhere, and is that…? No, it can't be…

They're all cheering.

This means one of two things: One, Voldemort is dead and Harry's going to be walking through those front doors begging us to forgive him for what that letter has put us through; or Two, Voldemort is dead and we've just lost our best friend…

We head outside and I start to ask people if they know what's happened.

"He's dead! He's finally gone!" shouted some person, whose name I don't know.

"I can't believe it's finally over!" shouted another.

I see Kingsley and Professor McGonagall standing to the side of the battle-field. I start to run over to them, pulling Hermione along with me.

"Kingsley! Professor McGonagall!" I yelled out as we got closer.

They turned towards us and their faces weren't happy.

I started to slow down.

'He has to be OK, I know he is," I keep thinking it to myself but somehow I just know…

"I'm so sorry, my dears," said Professor McGonagall beginning to break down and cry, "He died a hero's death, he gave himself up for us and now Voldemort is gone forever."

"We're working on recovering the body. Voldemort's just disappeared but we're not sure what happened to Harry's," Kingsley informed us.

"You mean there's not even a body?" I asked, "Why did everything have to be this way? He should've waited for us. We could've helped."

"No. Don't go telling yourselves that, you know there was nothing you could've done to save him. He did what was right, and he'll always be remembered for it. Of course we all wish he was alive, it was a possibility that he would survive but it was only very small and he knew that," said Kingsley.

Ginny's POV

I overheard Ron and Hermione's conversation this morning and now I'm on a mission. I know who that letter is for and that little ferret better be around here somewhere. I, of course, mean ferret as an affectionate term, we're actually semi-friendly to each other now.

I've been everywhere but the Great Hall, and that's where I'm heading.

I know Harry didn't make it.

By now everyone knows and they're all just devastated. But they shouldn't be sad, Harry wouldn't have wanted that, he'd have wanted us to rejoice because we're finally free.

I can see Draco.

I can't believe I have to tell him this. I know _all_ about them, and I can't think of any two people who have gone through as much as they have these past two years. They've had their ups and downs, but I never thought it would have to end on a down.

Oh no.

He's coming over here. I don't know how I'm supposed to tell him. I know I can't just blurt it out but how do you ease into saying 'the guy you're in love with just sacrificed himself for the greater good'.

"Gin! Where is he? Everyone's saying he's dead but it can't be true! He can't be gone! Gin, please say something!" screamed Draco Malfoy, he was distraught.

"Oh Draco, I'm so sorry," I said, as he began to cry. I reached out to him but he started to run out of the castle, so I quickly hurried to follow him.

Hermione's POV

I had finally managed to calm myself, there's still so much we have to do like rounding up the death-eaters who've survived.

"Ron?" I questioned quietly, "We need to do something, we have to help."

"What are we supposed to do Hermione?" he replied depressingly.

"I really don't know, but I think we need to find Ginny and get this letter to whom it now belongs."

Just then I saw someone come careening out of the castle. He's heading towards us and I think that's Ginny following him.

"Draco! Please just stop running!" I can hear Ginny yelling.

"Granger!" he gasps as he stops in front of us out of breath, "Please… tell me… he's not… really gone…!"

"Draco, it's true. You need to accept this. Hermione, please, give him the letter. I heard you and Ron this morning. The letter is for Draco." said Ginny.

"What?" said Ron.

"Just give him the letter Ron!" I demanded.

Ron reached into our own letter and handed Draco the small piece of parchment, folded in half.

Draco took it and looked at it for a moment. Ginny touched him lightly on the arm and he looked up at her, she nodded at him to open the letter.

_Draco,_

_If you're reading this, then it can be assumed that I am now dead._

_Even though Malfoys don't cry, I know you are. And I want you to stop._

_I did what I had to do, and now everyone's safe._

_I wish I could be there with you now, but I can't, so I want you to do something for me. Go with Ginny to the Weasleys, they'll make sure you're alright._

_I just want to make sure you're safe. I've left you a sizeable amount of gold in my Gringott's account, so make sure the Weasleys are taken care of. I know you don't hate them._

_But there is one thing I need you to know. I know we agreed never to say it, but I'm dead now so who gives a shit. If I were alive I'd shout it for the whole world to hear,_

_I LOVE YOU DRACO MALFOY!_

_You were the best thing that ever happened to me._

_All my love,_

_Harry James Potter._

He suddenly fell to his knees, holding the letter in his outstretched hand. Ginny rushed to wrap her arms around him and he continued to cry.

I heard someone coming and I looked away from them to see Molly Weasley rushing over.

"Ron! Ginny! Hermione! Thank goodness you're alright!" she said when she arrived, gathering Ron and myself into her arms, "And who's this? Draco Malfoy?"

"Yes it is Mum. Can we take him home with us? He's got nowhere to go and his parents are dead." asked Ginny.

"Oh of course dear, come on Draco," she said offering him a hand that he took without hesitation, "let's get you home and we'll make you all a nice cup of hot-chocolate."

And we all apparated off to the burrow.

_3 days later…_

Draco's POV

So here I am. Sitting in the living room of the Weasley home, The Burrow. It's actually quite nice, really friendly and warm…

The only problem is I don't know what I'm going to do with my life now. I've been sitting around and trying to get Mrs Weasley to let me help with the chores, but after they all found out about Harry and I they've been really nice, too nice. It seems like they're over-doing it, and it's as if they think I'm gonna do something stupid like go out there and try to find Harry's body myself.

But I won't.

I know he wouldn't want me to get hurt. And at least while they haven't found the body, I still have _some_ hope that he's alive.

It's getting late. I think it's around 10p.m but I'm not sure. Ron and Ginny are playing wizard's chess in the corner, Hermione's bringing in some drinks for us and I'm just looking for a way to escape.

"Hey, I'm just gonna head up to bed," I say, faking a yawn, "It's kinda late."

"Draco, it's only 7:30, what are you talking about?" Hermione says with a weird look on her face.

Well I guess it wasn't as late as I thought. Oh well. "I just need a break, they still haven't found Harry yet and I'm kinda worried."

"Draco," says Ginny, "You're talking about him as if he's out there somewhere waiting to be found. You need to realise he's gone."

I couldn't help it, I got angry. "You don't know what you're talking about! Nobody actually saw him get killed, there's no proof!"

"This isn't healthy, you need to grieve and move on. That's what we're all trying to do." says Hermione.

"Yeah well, maybe I don't care about being healthy anymore!" I screamed at her.

There was a loud BANG!

And stepping in from the shadows I heard a very familiar voice say, "I really think you should…"

I looked over to the door, as did everyone else, and the last thing I saw before I passed out were a pair of bright green eyes. And they were definitely alive.

Harry's POV

I looked around at the stunned faces and offered a smile before stepping forward to awaken Draco.

"Hermione, could you run and get me a glass of water? Thanks." I said, and she quickly hurried to get me some, "So, how is everyone?"

I lifted Draco's head onto my lap as I sat down next to him.

"We're fine Harry, but what happened to you? Last we heard you were… well, dead." said Ron.

"It's a long story," I replied, "But the short version is, that after I killed Voldemort I went to some kind of place, I think it was a spiritual plane or something. I saw my parents and Dumbledore and everyone who'd died. They were finally at peace."

"But when I woke up, I was a bit lost. I knew I should get medical attention so I went to the nearest hospital, it was a muggle one, but luckily my injuries weren't too bad," I continued, "When I was strong enough to leave I obliviated them and came straight here. I had to make sure Draco was alright, and I knew he'd listen to me when I told him to stay with you guys in my letter."

Hermione returned as I was telling them about what happened and I took the glass of water from her with a quick "Thanks" and splashed it on Draco's face.

Spluttering, he looked up at me and I smiled at him. He looked a bit unsure.

"Harry? Is that really you?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah, it's really me… I've missed you."

"I've missed you too. They kept trying to tell me you were dead but I knew you couldn't be," he said while getting tears in his eyes, "I'm so glad you're here. But there is something I've wanted to ask you ever since I read your letter…"

"What is it?"

"Did you mean what you said? You know, about loving me?"

"What do _you_ think, you silly ferret!" I said laughing.

He smiled at me, his grey eyes sparkling with happiness.

I couldn't help it. I leant down and brushed my lips against his… savouring him. I can't believe I almost never got to do _this_ again.

I pulled back and smiled at him again, and I noticed we had been left alone.

He smiled back; he really is the most beautiful creature on Earth…

"Hey Draco, I've got this crazy idea. Wanna hear it?"

"Yeah, sure."

"What would you say if I asked you to marry me?"

"I think I'd say yes. Why? Are you asking?" he grinned cheekily at me and sat up to look me straight in the eye.

I took his hands in mine and slid down onto one knee in front of him.

"Draco Malfoy, I love you with all my heart and soul and I swear to you that I will continue to do so beyond death. So I'm asking you… will you marry me?"

He smiled more, if that's even possible and said, "Yes."

I grinned up at him and captured his lips in yet another kiss. However, it didn't last very long.

"Wait!" he said, "There's something I have to say first."

"Well what is it? I was kind of enjoying what we were just doing!" I said laughing, I just couldn't stop smiling.

But before we started again he said one thing…

"Harry Potter, I love you too… with all my heart and soul…"


End file.
